Address

Program is not accepting applications for 2014-2015

,

Phone

(310) 825-4631

Email

ngov@humnet.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A.

Admission Limited to

Program is not accepting applications for 2012-2013

Master’s Degree

Advising

There is a clearly stated set of course requirements students must fulfill in order to earn the master’s degree. Each individual student’s program is specified in a meeting with the graduate adviser. During the year, students are made aware of their progress in individual courses as the result of midterm and final examinations. At the beginning of each quarter, the graduate adviser reviews the student’s record and advises the student of progress in the program and the remaining requirements that must be met.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students whose native language is English, generally use their Fall and Winter quarter electives to acquire or perfect a knowledge of the native language or dialect of the pupils to whom they expect to teach English. This can be done by taking any one of four combinations of two courses: (1) two foreign language courses; (2) one foreign language course plus Linguistics 220 or 225; (3) Applied Linguistics 221 plus an unrestricted elective.

Those who are particularly interested in working with Mexican-American, Asian-American, or American Indian pupils will normally choose the third of these alternatives. When there is doubt as to which language is most appropriate, a non-European language should be selected because of the greater broadening of linguistic horizons that such a selection offers. Foreign language courses that deal with linguistic structure should be selected whenever possible.

Non-native speakers of English, depending on their performance on the University’s English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE), may be required to take a course to improve their practical command of English.

Exemption from the foreign language requirement may be granted if students can demonstrate a strong need to take other electives and have an unusually extensive background of previous foreign language study. For more information, contact the graduate adviser.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite. Linguistics 20 or its equivalent.

First-Year Curriculum

The typical course of study for the first year of the M.A. program is as follows:

Fall Quarter: Applied Linguistics C210, 265, foreign language requirement or elective (course depends on language requirement plan).

Winter Quarter: Applied Linguistics C216, 220 or 229 or 231, foreign language requirement or elective (course depends on language requirement plan).

Spring Quarter: Applied Linguistics C211, or C212, or C217, or C218A-218B, Linguistics 103 or Applied Linguistics C213.

Exceptions to the above requirements are made only after consultation with the graduate adviser.

Of the nine courses required the first year, at least seven must be in Applied Linguistics, English, linguistics, or structure of language courses in language departments.

Successful completion of the above courses qualifies students for a Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate, which is not a California State Instructional Credential.

Second-Year Curriculum

A total of 14 courses is required for the M.A. degree, including a minimum of four 200-series courses. Four of the nine courses taken during the first year (usually Applied Linguistics C216, 220 or 229 or 231, 265, and Linguistics 103 or Applied Linguistics C213) and, in special cases, two of the electives (100 or 200 series only) may be applied toward the University’s nine-course minimum requirement for master’s degrees. This leaves five courses to be completed in consultation with the graduate adviser during the second year.

Once the thesis proposal in course 598 is completed, the student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is completed, typically by the end of the second year. Only one 598 course may be applied toward the 14-course requirement.

A total of eight units of 500-series courses may be applied toward the 14 courses required for the degree; however, only four units may be used to fulfill the University minimum requirement of five graduate-level courses.

Applied Linguistics 400 is a seminar in which M.A. candidates present and defend the results of their thesis research. Enrollment is required in the Spring Quarter but does not count as one of the 14 courses required for the M.A. degree.

The electives taken during the second year should be selected, in consultation with the faculty M.A. adviser and the chair of the thesis committee, as a sequence of related courses relevant to the student’s thesis topic. Any changes in the program must be approved by both the committee chair and the M.A. adviser.

Teaching Experience

One quarter of supervised teaching is required during the first year unless students have had extensive teaching experience. If this requirement is completed at UCLA in an adult education setting, students will be eligible for the California Adult Education Credential in ESL.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

None.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

By the end of the fourth quarter, a thesis proposal, signed by two faculty members, is submitted to the faculty. At this time, plans for the thesis are approved and the thesis committee is established. An outside member is required.

Time to Degree

From graduate admission to award of M.A. degree: six quarters, and in some cases, a summer session. Students must complete the degree including the filing of the thesis within three years after beginning the M.A. program. If the degree is not completed within that time period, students must file a petition with the department indicating reasons for extension of time.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The chair makes a recommendation for termination on the recommendation of a departmental committee set up to review the particular circumstances of a given case. The committee includes at least one student. Either the graduate adviser or a member of the faculty may initiate the process by informing the chair of the need to recommend a student for termination. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the chair who reconvenes the ad hoc committee to reconsider the matter.